“Normally the last part of the market is less expensive, but this season, after Neymar [left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record £199 million deal], everything changed — and changed for the worse in terms of prices,” Mourinho told The Times.

“I think Lukaku on August 31 would have been £150m.

“Matic would have been £60m or £70m. Neymar changed everything.

“If the biggest transfer in history had still been Pogba, I think Philippe Coutinho would now be in Barcelona at £101m.

GETTY

Neymar cost PSG £200million

“People look to the £200m figure now. Now the players of £20m became £40 million, the players of £40m became £60m and everything changed. Lukaku and Matic, now, would have cost us £200m in total.

“But because we did it in the first part of the summer, it was much less.

“I think we did well in financial terms and well in preparation terms, getting them before the season started. That is not crucial but it is important.”

United resume Premier League duties away to Stoke on Saturday (5:30pm).